CASA holds its first annual luau at Wine Ridge pool

Court appointed Special Advocates (CASA) adds Luau to its fundraisers. The event will be held at the poolside of Wine Ridge Peak RV Resort next to the Pahrump Valley Winery Saturday, Sept. 13, beginning at 7 p.m. Admission is $45 per person.

The dinner includes kahlua pork, teriyaki chicken, macaroni, mock-poi, ambrosia salad and a pina colada bar.

Guests will be entertained by authentic Hawaiian performers while a live mermaid cavorts in the pool.

Each guest can pick a prize and purchase raffle tickets for a drawing for that item. There will be plenty of opportunities to support CASA through purchase of raffle tickets for an array of prizes. There will also be bidding in a silent auction for gift baskets and other items.

Participants can also purchase clam shells for the grand-prize drawing. The shells will be sunk into the pool, and when the time comes, the mermaid will dive and bring up each shell until the winning one is found. The prize is a getaway weekend for two at the Venetian Hotel, dinner at Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio Restaurant and two tickets for the Rock of Ages show.

The party has limited seating around the pool and CASA events generally sell out. Reservations need to be made in advance. Call 775-513-9514 to make yours.

CASA is a national program that recruits, trains and supervises volunteers, who act as advocates in court making recommendations for children who cannot stand up or speak for themselves.

Each and every volunteer must complete the application process prior to being accepted into the program. This includes paperwork and an in-depth interview. A background check is also a requirement.

The training classes require 36 hours to complete and include guest speakers from related entities and the court system itself. Court observance is also mandatory.

When sworn in at court, CASA volunteers are presented with credentials and assigned a case, which is reviewed with a supervisor. All trainees are required to abide by the confidentiality statement they have signed. Many children are in foster care and have been neglected and often abused by parents or guardians. At any given time there are between 80 and 100 children in foster care in the Fifth Judicial District. It would be ideal to have a volunteer to advocate for each abused and neglected child or set of siblings. There are currently 30 active trained volunteers who reside in the Pahrump area. It is the intent of the program to train many more by the end of each calendar year.

Since each volunteer is an appointed officer of the court, interviews of the children are conducted in private. The parent or guardian is not permitted to sit in.

The cost to recruit, train and manage volunteers is approximately $2,500 each per year. There are many ways to help support CASA such as in-kind donations of office equipment and supplies or underwriting the cost of printing, postage or other services. Donations of gifts and prizes to raffle or auction are always welcome. The program can also use donations of new or gently used children’s clothing for the CASA Closet. To sign up for the next training class or make a donation call 775-513-0513 or 775-513-0514.

Contact author Creag Rowland by emailingcreag.pvtimes@gmail.com.